Calibrachoa plant named ‘Illumination Blue’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant named ‘Illumination Blue’, characterized by its cascading and prostrate plant habit; freely branching growth habit; early flowering habit; bright purple-colored flowers with yellow-colored throat; and good weather tolerance.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DESIGNATION

Calibrachoa sp. cultivar Illumination Blue.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofCalibrachoa plant, botanically known as Calibrachoa sp., and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Illumination Blue’.

The new Calibrachoa is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventors in Tochigi, Japan. The objective of the breedingprogram is to create new early flowering Calibrachoa cultivars that havestronger growth and attractive flower coloration.

The new Calibrachoa originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventors in August, 1997, in Tochigi, Japan, of an unnamed proprietaryCalibrachoa selection, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent withthe Calibrachoa cultivar Liricashower Blue (erroneously identified as‘Petunia’), disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,885, as the male, orpollen, parent. The new Calibrachoa was discovered and selected by theInventors as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Tochigi, Japan,in October, 1998. The selection of this plant was based on its strongplant growth habit and attractive flower coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in acontrolled environment in Saitama-ken, Japan, since January, 1999, hasshown that the unique features of this new Calibrachoa are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Illumination Blue have not been observed underall possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhatwith variations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Illumination Blue’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Illumination Blue’ as a newand distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa:

1. Cascading and prostrate plant habit.

2. Freely branching growth habit.

3. Early flowering habit.

4. Bright purple-colored flowers with yellow-colored throat.

5. Good weather tolerance; tolerant to wind, rain, and low and hightemperatures.

Plants of the new Calibrachoa can be compared to plants of the femaleparent, an unnamed proprietary Calibrachoa selection. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted by the Inventors in Tochigi, Japan, plants of thenew Calibrachoa differed from plants of the female parent primarily ingrowth habit as plants of the new Calibrachoa were more prostrate andnot as upright as plants of the female parent.

Plants of the new Calibrachoa can be compared to plants of the maleparent, the cultivar Liricashower Blue. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted by the Inventors in Tochigi, Japan, plants of the newCalibrachoa differed from plants of the cultivar Liricashower Blue inthe following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa had darker green-colored leaves thanplants of the cultivar Liricashower Blue.

2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa had larger flowers than plants of thecultivar Liricashower Blue.

3. Plants of the new Calibrachoa and the cultivar Liricashower Bluediffered in corolla coloration.

Plants of the new cultivar can also be compared to plants of thecultivar Sunbelkubu, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,279. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventors in Tochigi, Japan,plants of the new Calibrachoa differed from plants of the cultivarSunbelkubu in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa had lighter green-colored leaves thanplants of the cultivar Sunbelkubu.

2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa had larger flowers than plants of thecultivar Sunbelkubu.

3. Plants of the new Calibrachoa and the cultivar Sunbelkubu differed incorolla coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Calibrachoa.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Illumination Blue’.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of atypical flower of ‘Illumination Blue’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. Twenty-centimeter containerswith three plants per container were used for the aforementionedphotographs and the following description. Plants were grown underconditions which closely approximate commercial production conditionsduring the winter in Santa Paula, Calif. in a polyethylene-coveredgreenhouse. Plants used for the photographs and the description wereabout 14 weeks from planting rooted young plants. During the productionperiod, day temperatures averaged 28° C., night temperatures averaged21° C., and light levels were about 5,000 footcandles.

Botanical classification: Calibrachoa sp. cultivar Illumination Blue.

Parentage:

Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of Calibrachoasp., not patented.

Male, or pollen, parent.—Calibrachoa sp. cultivar Liricashower Blue,disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,885.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 3 days at 25° C. Winter: About 7days at 20° C.

Time to produce a rooted young plant.—Summer: About 21 days at 25° C.Winter: About 23 days at 22° C.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous, and white in color.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.

Plant description:

Form.—Annual flowering plant; cascading and prostrate plant habit; lowmounded; short internodes, dense and bushy appearance.

Plant height (from soil level to top of plant plane).—About 16 cm.

Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 88 cm.

Growth rate.—Relatively rapid.

Branching habit.—Freely basal branching, about 6 to 8 basal branches perplant; lateral branches develop at potentially every node; pinching istypically not required.

Lateral branch description.—Length: About 48 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.Internode length: About 1.5 to 2 cm. Orientation: Initially upright,then horizontal. Texture: Pubescent; short, fine hairs. Strength:Strong, but flexible. Color: 146B.

Foliage description.—Leaves simple, generally symmetrical. Arrangement:Alternate before flowering, then opposite. Length: About 2.8 cm. Width:About 1 cm. Shape: Narrowly elliptic. Apex: Rounded or broadly acute.Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Coarse; slightlyglandular; slightly pubescent. Texture, lower surface: Coarse; slightlyglandular; glabrous. Venation pattern: Pinnate; arcuate. Color: Youngfoliage, upper surface: 146A. Young foliage, lower surface: 146B. Fullyexpanded foliage, upper surface: 147A. Fully expanded foliage, lowersurface: 147B. Venation, upper surface: 147B. Venation, lower surface:147C. Petiole length: About 8 mm. Petiole diameter: About 1 mm. Petiolecolor: 144B.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Flowers face upright or outward; solitary andaxillary; salverform. Freely flowering habit, about 20 to 22 flowers andflower buds per lateral stem. Flowers persistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Natural flowering season.—Spring until frost in the autumn; floweringcontinuous during this period.

Time to flower.—Early flowering; plants begin flowering about 2 weeksafter planting.

Flower longevity on the plant.—About 2 weeks.

Flower size.—Diameter: About 3.4 cm. Tube length: About 3 cm.

Flower buds (showing color).—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: At apex,about 5 mm; at base, about 3 mm. Shape: Roughly oblong. Color: 79C.

Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five petals, fused intoflared trumpet. Petal length from throat: About 1.7 cm. Petal width:About 1.6 cm. Petal shape: Spatulate to flabellate. Petal apex: Roundedwith shallow emargination. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture: Smooth,glabrous; velvety. Color: Petal, when opening, upper surface: 83B;venation, close to 83B. Petal, when opening, lower surface: 87C;venation, close to 87C. Petal, opened flower, upper surface: Brighterthan 83B; venation, close to 83B; color does not fade with subsequentdevelopment. Petal, opened flower, lower surface: 87B; venation, closeto 87B. Flower throat (inside): 5A; venation, close to 185B. Flower tube(outside): 145D; venation, close to 185B.

Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals fused atbase; star-shaped. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape:Narrowly elliptic. Apex: Broadly acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upperand lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Young and fully expandedsepals, upper surface: 146A. Young and fully expanded sepals, lowersurface: 146B.

Peduncles.—Length: About 2 cm. Width: About 1 mm. Strength: Moderatelystrong. Angle: About 45° from stem. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Five per flower. Anther shape:Oval. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: 18A. Pollen amount:Scarce. Pollen color: 18A. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistillength: About 9 mm. Stigma shape: Anvil-shaped; curved. Stigma color:144A. Style length: About 7 mm. Style color: 144C. Ovary color: 150C.

Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Calibrachoa have not beennoted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Calibrachoa.

Weather/temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Calibrachoa aretolerant to rain and wind and have been observed to toleratetemperatures from 3 to 35° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant named‘Illumination Blue’, as illustrated and described.